On May 26, 2026, members of the R3 Project Change Champion Network (CCN) came together in person for an interactive session focused on collaboration, communication, and preparing the College community for the changes ahead.
As Algonquin College continues preparing for the implementation of Thesis Student Management (Thesis SM) and the Thesis Student Portal, Change Champions play an important role in supporting awareness, readiness, and engagement across the College.
Changes are coming with the new Student Information System (SIS), Thesis SM, and one of the biggest shifts is how learners will enroll in their courses. Instead of the college registering them automatically, learners will now take the lead through a two-step process: Pre-enrolment and Re-enrolment. It’s a move toward more learner autonomy, and while it’s a change, it’s also a great opportunity to support learners in building ownership of their academic journey.
Our May 2026 R3 Project Showcase event was hosted by Krista Pearson, Vice President of Student Services and R3 Project’s Executive Sponsor, who welcomed more than 200 participants.
This event’s topic was all things Admissions, including new terminology and key changes. Several Admissions topics have already been presented at previous Showcase events.
Kiana Lepage-Valenzuela, Technical Writer, R3 Project, led attendees through an interactive review of the new Admissions terminology.
Lisa Wellman, Coordinator, Admissions, provided an overview of the key changes to Admissions processes that Thesis SM and the accompanying Thesis Student Portal will bring.
Dr. Patricia Anderson, Organizational Change Management Lead and Senior Implementation Consultant with Thesis, and Funto Dabiri, Implementation Consultant with Thesis, delivered a live demo of the portfolio submission and review process in the Thesis Student Portal and Thesis SM.
The event ended with a Q&A session, where attendees were invited to ask any Admissions-related questions.
As always, we want to thank our attendees for tuning in to learn more about the new Student Information System. We appreciate every question and value these opportunities to provide more information to the wider college community.
Change is exciting, but it can also feel challenging. With the introduction of our new Student Information System (SIS), Thesis SM, and the accompanying Thesis Student Portal replacing ACSIS, we’re stepping into a new way of working at Algonquin College. This shift brings fresh processes and a new set of terminology. Think of it like learning a new language: it feels unfamiliar and daunting at first, but the more you practice, the more fluent you become.
And that’s where gamification comes in! By turning learning into a game with challenges and points, we make the process less overwhelming and more engaging.
Imagine going to the gym for your brain instead of your body. You’ve got stations for cardio (quick thinking), strength (deep understanding), and flexibility (adaptability). Now imagine each station is a challenge built around learning new terms for the future Student Information System (SIS), Thesis SM. That’s where the R3 Project’s Word Workouts come in!
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The implementation of the new Student Information System (SIS), Thesis SM, will bring significant changes to the way processes work. For now, our focus is on Admissions, which will have an impact on both learners and employees. We have compiled a summary of the biggest Admissions changes to set you up for success!
Admissions covers a wide range of processes, so make sure to check out the first part to learn about the other changes that are coming. This second and final part focuses on some key components to the Admissions process, as well as common features that some learners might use during their applicant journey.
Want to know how different Admissions processes will work once the new Student Information System (SIS), Thesis SM, is implemented? Well, look no further! We have compiled a summary of the biggest changes surrounding Admissions, from the new Applicant Checklist feature to how international learners will be admitted.
Some of these processes are completely new, while others are changes from existing processes. Regardless, the new SIS will bring many benefits, and in the meantime, we will prepare you for these changes with a handy crash course.
Since there are a number of changes coming, we decided to split the list into two parts. The first part focuses on the different kinds of Admissions processes, as well as a new feature in the Thesis Student Portal.
Our first R3 Project Showcase event of 2026 was hosted by Krista Pearson, Vice President of Student Services and R3 Project’s Executive Sponsor, who welcomed more than 280 participants.
This event shone a spotlight on various key learner benefits, many of which were presented at past Showcase events.
Lisa Wellman, Coordinator, Admissions, walked through the OCAS Domestic on Demand (also known as DoD) integration.
James Pede, Associate Director of Financial Operations, presented the new Flywire payments and refunds process.
Kyle Jorgensen-Lane, Manager of Financial Aid and Student Awards, reviewed the streamlined bursaries, scholarships, and awards (BSA) process.
Elizabeth Holmes, Change Management Officer, R3 Project, discussed two new tools on the Thesis Student Portal, the Applicant Checklist and the Credential Audit tool.
Wade Stewart, Business Systems Analyst, R3 Project, provided a walkthrough of the Applicant Checklist and the document submission process.
The event concluded with a Q&A session, where attendees were invited to ask questions related to any of the topics discussed, as well as any related R3 topics.
We want to thank our attendees for taking the time to attend the first Showcase event of 2026. As always, we value every question and appreciate the chance to engage in such valuable discussions. We look forward to sharing more information as the year progresses!
As part of our ongoing work on the R3 Project, we’ve collected a wide range of questions asked by our College community. These FAQs are available online, and we invite you to get familiar with them. This blog is your invitation to explore them and get ahead of the change.
The R3 Project is much more than the implementation of a new Student Information System (SIS). With a new system comes new business processes, and with new processes come benefits. Some of these changes have already been implemented, and others will be introduced once the SIS goes live.
These benefits are in line with improving student success and satisfaction, as well as employee satisfaction and productivity, and they directly support the goals outlined in Algonquin College’s Academic and Strategic Plans. Below are only some of our biggest benefits that will have a positive impact on the College. More will be uncovered and shared as the project continues!